The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia, botanically known as Lobelia erinus and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Tech Hepdab’.
‘Tech Hepdab’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization made in June 2005 in Andijk, Netherlands.
The female parent was an unpatented proprietary Lobelia plant designated ‘LOB04-315-2’ with dark blue flowers. ‘LOB04-315-2’ has larger leaves and has a less upright plant habit than ‘Tech Hepdab’.
The male parent of ‘Tech Hepdab’ was an unpatented proprietary Lobelia plant designated ‘LOB04-307-4’ having blue flowers with white eyes. ‘LOB04-307-4’ has a larger plant habit with longer stems than ‘Tech Hepdab’.
The resulting seeds were sown in October 2005. ‘Tech Hepdab’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in January 2006 in a controlled environment in Andijk, Netherlands.
The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Tech Hepdab’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in the spring of 2006 in a controlled environment in Andijk, Netherlands.
Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated in the spring of 2007 in Andijk, Netherlands, and in Hillscheid, Germany, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Tech Hepdab’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
‘Tech Hepdab’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.
A Plant Breeders' Right for this cultivar was applied for with the European Union on Jul. 21, 2008. ‘Tech Hepdab’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of this application.